http://mmajunkie.comDaniel Cormier’s professional debut at this past weekend’s “Strikeforce Challengers” event was successful – even it wasn’t pretty.

But no one is going to be more critical of the fighter than Cormier himself, who on Monday joined MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) to discuss his Showtime-televised win over fellow MMA newcomer Gary Frazier.

“I’ve got to learn this sport,” the former U.S. Olympian joked. “I really have no idea what I’m doing.”

That’s not entirely true. On Sept. 25 at the SpiritBank Event Center in Bixby, Okla., Cormier did a lot of things right. He used his dominant wrestling skills to force takedowns, displayed a solid ground-and-pound ability, shrugged off some big shots and continually pushed the pace of the fight.

Cormier said the fight-night jitters never really got to him, but the 30-year-old former Oklahoma State University All-American knows his skills need to catch up with his composure.

“I’m trying my best, and in terms of poise, I think it just comes from wrestling on the big stage and going to the Olympics and wrestling in the world championships every year,” said Cormier, who prepared for the fight at the American Kickboxing Academy in California. “But realistically, I’m just learning (MMA), and I take by butt whoopings in practice. … I’ve really only had five full weeks of focused training, which isn’t bad all things considered, but I need to do a better job of staying in the mesh.”

Cormier, who signed with Strikeforce last month, nearly didn’t take the fight with Frazier, which ended via second-round TKO via ground and pound.

A hand injury slowed Cormier, and frustration during training only made matters worse.

“Early in the week, (AKA trainer) Bob (Cook) just about pulled me out of the fight,” he said. “I really had to fight with him to stay on the card because I didn’t want to pull out of my very first fight. I hadn’t been able to spar the whole last week of training at AKA. I would spar really lightly just with jabs. I was getting my tail kicked by everybody in the room because I didn’t have one of my best weapons. Then, when I would get really upset, I would throw the right hand and set myself back a couple days. It was pretty severe. I wasn’t sure if I was able to do it.”

Cormier, in fact, was so worried about getting pulled from the fight card that he never got the hand X-rayed. He plans to do that this week, and the results will determine when he returns to the cage. He said he’d like to do so before year’s end, health permitting.

But while some in the industry are pushing for Cormier to drop to the light heavyweight division before his career advances too much further, the sub-6-foot-tall fighter said it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“I like being a heavyweight,” Cormier said. “I’m big and fat, and I feel good. I’m not cutting any weight. Before the weigh-ins, I ate a big ol’ egg and sausage breakfast, and for lunch, I had a 16-ounce steak, and I felt amazing. But if Bob Cook ever decides that it’s in my best interest for my career and we needed to go down, that’s something we’d have to do. … If he ever decided that it was time to do that, yes. But right now, the focus is just on getting better.

“But realistically, how many 5-(foot)-11 are at 205? Not many. So I’m going to be short regardless. I’m just going to have to find comfort in my skills and the skills that I’m going to develop, and hopefully that’ll carry me to a lot of victories.”

Some of those skills that Cormier hopes to develop are in the striking department. His kicks, for example, were so bad that before the Frazier fight, Cook banned Cormier from using them at all until they have more time to work together.

Ultimately, though, Cormier thinks his striking will eventually be one of his biggest wins. Opponents will always have to worry about being taken down, and when standing, Cormier wants to punish them there, as well. Additionally, he said fans have only got a sneak peek of one of his greatest weapons of all: an uncanny ability to take punishment.

“As you can see, I have a really big ol’ head,” Cormier said. “I don’t really worry about getting punched because hopefully I can see it. If I don’t see it, maybe you might knock me out, but man, I’ve been through so much. I’ve fallen out of moving cars, I’ve run into walls, I’ve been hit in the face with baseball bats as a kid and stuff, so I’m got a pretty worn face that can take a little damage.

For the full interview with Cormier, including more on AKA and his membership in “Team Thirsty” (and the recent recruitment of Rashad Evans to the underground club), download Monday’s edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio.

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.